As an American coming to Jamaica, I was told time and time again to be careful and to not come to Kingston.
Not come to Kingston? What would this experience be like? What would be the point?
Kingston is not promoted by the Tourism Bureau.
Kingston is not in the Come to Jamaica and Feel Alright commercials.
Kingston is the heart of Jamaica's culture.
Kingston is the spirit of Jamaica's people.
Kingston is where we started today.
The first stop in Kingston was Trenchtown, where we went to Bob Marley's former home, now a historical site. Bob Marley is a part of nearly every conversation in Jamaica...This was part of my own personal pilgrimage here...more on that later...
Trenchtown Culture Yard is looking for ways to document rastafarianism and Bob Marley, through a documentary and through archives, to preserve and celebrate the rich history of Trenchtown.
Not come to Kingston? What would this experience be like? What would be the point?
Kingston is not promoted by the Tourism Bureau.
Kingston is not in the Come to Jamaica and Feel Alright commercials.
Kingston is the heart of Jamaica's culture.
Kingston is the spirit of Jamaica's people.
Kingston is where we started today.
The first stop in Kingston was Trenchtown, where we went to Bob Marley's former home, now a historical site. Bob Marley is a part of nearly every conversation in Jamaica...This was part of my own personal pilgrimage here...more on that later...
Trenchtown Culture Yard is looking for ways to document rastafarianism and Bob Marley, through a documentary and through archives, to preserve and celebrate the rich history of Trenchtown.
I spent time with a rasta who reads stones and trees. Natural mystic flowing through the air, this is what Bob must have seen. We will be going back later this week for a more formal tour.
After that, we went to Arnette Gardens, where Knife grew up. We saw Unity Park, a place where flora will be turned into food. The garden sits alongsite an empty field full of garbage and the ubiquitous packs of smart street dogs. This was just another example of the dualism that is Jamaica. Beauty lies alongside trash and there is strength in defeat, and spirit in sadness.
Unity Garden will play a major role in the community- it will provide a meeting space for people, a place for people to grow food- to promote urban architecture in a land that is so rich and fertile, and to for people to get involved in providing fresh food to local businesses. The space is beautifully maintained by a volunteer welds and gardens with love and care.
Everton is thinking of creating a curricula that incorporates urban agriculture, economics, entreprenuership and experiencial learning. He envisions a class where people can grow local, grow organic and grow their community.
We stopped for a yummy vegan lunch at Country Farmhouse, a business that is a part of RBPA, the Rastafari Business & Professional Association. Everything on the menu is VEGAN! and grown, produced and sold by a group of local people. Knife is interested in connecting some of the youth from Kingston with RBPA using the entrepreneurial and social agricultural skills that they develop from Youth Crime Watch.
Besides having delicious food (I had a bean and corn stew, Everton had the BBQ soy cubes with calalloo and cabbage, along with a calalloo patty!) the place had such a wonderful feeling. The family owned restaurant is located in the middle of a compound-like mall and is surrounded by the two kitchens that produce the food sold at the restaurant and distributed to other restaurants in the community. The contact person for this place is Ras Imo, cflifeline@hotmail.com.
After leaving Arnett Gardens (with a quick stopover for sugar cane juice, coconut jelly and noni juice...Knife eats a strictly raw diet) we went into the highlight of our day...Ms. Cookie's class, a part of the Positive Youth in Action group which gets support from Crime Youth Watch.
Miss Cookie's class...blew my mind!
These children attend the program everyday from 8 to 3. 25 children, their ages ranging from 3-18 sit in a spartan room (air conditioned, only by default since the program inherited a space which was formerly a computer lab that was destroyed by the hurricane in 2007).
The group is faciliated by Miss Carol 'Cookie' Cook and Miss Petrona Barnet. Miss Cookie works with the Ministry of Education and has been volunteering her time to the children in her community for almost 15 years.
The two amazing women teach skills like: conflict resolution, self-esteem, health, STIs and HIV/AIDS awareness, music, theatre and drama, body awareness along with academic skills.
HOW DO THEY DO THIS IN A GROUP SO MIXED IN AGES???
They have a captive audience who come come everyday, on a voluntary basis in order to better themselves.
Everton and I wanted to know what brought these children to the group and each of them said that it offered new opportunities to them, and taught them new skills and mostly they hoped for a better, brighter future for Jamaica and for themselves. Almost all of the children hope to enter a profession to help others in the future.
They shared their concerns about the violence in Kingston. Children in the primary schools said that there was violence that they witnessed everyday. In fact, some said that they don't go to school on the last day of school because of the anticipated gang violence.
One beautiful young man said that he wished that the politicians in his community would fix his streets, and create jobs for the people. I never knew that children could be so politically conscious and aware.
The children spoke of their dreams for a Jamaica that is peaceful and calm, a Jamaica that the world can enjoy and learn from.
Despite all that is being accomplished in this spartan room, there was no funding for the program, and so much needs to be done. We are hoping to set up something to send school supplies to these children. They deserve so much. Pens, markers, paper...there is no bathroom for the program and the door to the room was broken but the childrens' spirit was unbreakable.
At the end of the day, they were fully charged from playing Bob Marley Trivia with Miss Barnett (they had visited the Bob Marley Museum earlier). Everton had a chance to do some math problems with them, and they rose to the challenge.
Miss Cookie and Miss Barnet are amazing, and an inspiration to watch. Motherhood, strength, survival, and power...I was so moved by this work.
We will be spending a lot of time in Miss Cookie's class...
What a day...I was surrounded by hope, beauty, fresh faces representing the future of Jamaica and rastafarians who cut me fresh fruit from the trees...what a day.
After that, we went to Arnette Gardens, where Knife grew up. We saw Unity Park, a place where flora will be turned into food. The garden sits alongsite an empty field full of garbage and the ubiquitous packs of smart street dogs. This was just another example of the dualism that is Jamaica. Beauty lies alongside trash and there is strength in defeat, and spirit in sadness.
Unity Garden will play a major role in the community- it will provide a meeting space for people, a place for people to grow food- to promote urban architecture in a land that is so rich and fertile, and to for people to get involved in providing fresh food to local businesses. The space is beautifully maintained by a volunteer welds and gardens with love and care.
Everton is thinking of creating a curricula that incorporates urban agriculture, economics, entreprenuership and experiencial learning. He envisions a class where people can grow local, grow organic and grow their community.
We stopped for a yummy vegan lunch at Country Farmhouse, a business that is a part of RBPA, the Rastafari Business & Professional Association. Everything on the menu is VEGAN! and grown, produced and sold by a group of local people. Knife is interested in connecting some of the youth from Kingston with RBPA using the entrepreneurial and social agricultural skills that they develop from Youth Crime Watch.
Besides having delicious food (I had a bean and corn stew, Everton had the BBQ soy cubes with calalloo and cabbage, along with a calalloo patty!) the place had such a wonderful feeling. The family owned restaurant is located in the middle of a compound-like mall and is surrounded by the two kitchens that produce the food sold at the restaurant and distributed to other restaurants in the community. The contact person for this place is Ras Imo, cflifeline@hotmail.com.
After leaving Arnett Gardens (with a quick stopover for sugar cane juice, coconut jelly and noni juice...Knife eats a strictly raw diet) we went into the highlight of our day...Ms. Cookie's class, a part of the Positive Youth in Action group which gets support from Crime Youth Watch.
Miss Cookie's class...blew my mind!
These children attend the program everyday from 8 to 3. 25 children, their ages ranging from 3-18 sit in a spartan room (air conditioned, only by default since the program inherited a space which was formerly a computer lab that was destroyed by the hurricane in 2007).
The group is faciliated by Miss Carol 'Cookie' Cook and Miss Petrona Barnet. Miss Cookie works with the Ministry of Education and has been volunteering her time to the children in her community for almost 15 years.
The two amazing women teach skills like: conflict resolution, self-esteem, health, STIs and HIV/AIDS awareness, music, theatre and drama, body awareness along with academic skills.
HOW DO THEY DO THIS IN A GROUP SO MIXED IN AGES???
They have a captive audience who come come everyday, on a voluntary basis in order to better themselves.
Everton and I wanted to know what brought these children to the group and each of them said that it offered new opportunities to them, and taught them new skills and mostly they hoped for a better, brighter future for Jamaica and for themselves. Almost all of the children hope to enter a profession to help others in the future.
They shared their concerns about the violence in Kingston. Children in the primary schools said that there was violence that they witnessed everyday. In fact, some said that they don't go to school on the last day of school because of the anticipated gang violence.
One beautiful young man said that he wished that the politicians in his community would fix his streets, and create jobs for the people. I never knew that children could be so politically conscious and aware.
The children spoke of their dreams for a Jamaica that is peaceful and calm, a Jamaica that the world can enjoy and learn from.
Despite all that is being accomplished in this spartan room, there was no funding for the program, and so much needs to be done. We are hoping to set up something to send school supplies to these children. They deserve so much. Pens, markers, paper...there is no bathroom for the program and the door to the room was broken but the childrens' spirit was unbreakable.
At the end of the day, they were fully charged from playing Bob Marley Trivia with Miss Barnett (they had visited the Bob Marley Museum earlier). Everton had a chance to do some math problems with them, and they rose to the challenge.
Miss Cookie and Miss Barnet are amazing, and an inspiration to watch. Motherhood, strength, survival, and power...I was so moved by this work.
We will be spending a lot of time in Miss Cookie's class...
What a day...I was surrounded by hope, beauty, fresh faces representing the future of Jamaica and rastafarians who cut me fresh fruit from the trees...what a day.
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